December 30, 2018

China: Malaria Cures

Mugwort or wormwood or Ngia is a common plant grown by Foochows in Sibu.

It is normally boiled to make a soup and is good for expelling wind, or getting rid of headaches and fever.
Image result for Malaria and Nobel Prize for Medicine
The winner of the Nobel Prize for Medicine 2015 went to Tu You You who was inspired by the description in a 1700 year old Chinese text of the use of sweet wormwood to combat fever.

She thus discovered artemisinin, which has been sued by millions against malaria. She is affiliated with the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing.

The development of qinghaosu — or artemisinin — is now one of modern China’s proudest accomplishments.




Nang Chong Stories : A Parliamentary Minister from the Lau Family



Uncle Tan Sri Lau Hieng Ding passed away on Christmas Day 2018. May His Soul Rest in Peace.

He was a member of Malaysian Parliament for nearly 30 years, thus making him one of the longest serving MPs in Malaysia. He represented Sarikei, although he was born in Nang Chong Village in Sibu.

After graduating from Nanyang University with a Bachelor of Commerce in 1961, he returned to Sibu to serve in the district council from 1964 to 1981. The following year he stood for election as MP and won. He received many well deserved awards during his service. In 2004 he stepped down as full minister of Science and Technology but he continued to serve his people in many different capacities.

While serving in Kuala Lumpur he and his wife never forgot their roots and tried very best to help the Foochows and other Sarawakians. One of the most memorable acts he and his wife did was to help anyone who needed a passport or visa. They would personally receive their guests at the airport and even queue at the Damansara Passport Office. His humble service will long be remembered by people he had helped.

He was an illustrious son of Sarawak. And a beloved member of the Foochow Lau Clan of Minqing subdialect group too. Thousands of people came to his funeral service in Sibu.

December 29, 2018

Sibu Tales : Sotong Bakar / Jiu Hoo


Today we no long can see a man selling sotong tumbok by a cinema in Sibu. It was a thrill for us to spend 15 cents of our precious pocket money to buy this snack from the friendly Malay man who sat on his low stool, fan his charcoal fire and patiently roasted the dried squids. The moment a customer came by he would pound a squid with his pestle and mortar. Soon enough the little customer would skip along the five foot way along Blacksmith road, happy with a small pounded piece of sotong bakar dipped in red and sweet chilli sauce, after that delicious first bite.

The sotong toasted over his charcoal fire just smelled so good in the air and we were attracted to go near him. Some of us who had some money would buy from him one small piece. Others would just watch, and as the proverb goes, "No cents to rub against each other in the pocket".

The chilli sauce was very special and he had prepared a common bowl for the buyers to dip the pounded toasted squid into it.  In those days, a hawker would not have plastic bags for his customers. I remember we just stood by him and ate what we bought. 

Besides as kids, we never realised then if any one DOUBLE DIPPED when savouring our sotong bakar and the sweet chilli sauce!

Many Foochows in those days did not have chilli sauce at home, be it bottled or freshly pounded. I never remember my mother pounding  chllies when she cooked. She did not even add sliced chillies into her stir fried kang kong!!



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The end of the year would make me feel nostaligic for sotong bakar. If only time could be rewound, I would really like to have just one day in Sibu in the early 60's, to go for a movie with friends and then have some sotong bakar after the movie.

What a great double treat it would be.

Today Dried Squid is RM100 per kg. a price which is beyond many people's budget.

December 28, 2018

Outboard Engines, Speed Boats and Long Boats

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Foochow girls in the past did not dream of handsome princes arriving on horses. They dreamt of handsome and rich young men who came with their speedboats (hp 25 outboard engines) to carry them up the Rajang River to see a movie in Sibu and returning them to their home after the first show at 9 p.m.

It must have been quite frightening to drive a speed boat at night but according to an expert, in those days it was quite safe as there were few logs and the spot light from the speed boat was really good.

The most elegant outboard engines came from Ling Hak Choon and Heng Ang with horse power ranging from 15 HP to 80 HP.

The earlier brands were Eagle, Gale, Evinrude, Johnson. Later many Japanese brands came into the market.

Because the Rajang was such a significant line of communication, the government departments all had their outboard engines and speed boats and long boats. The higher the officer, the bigger his outboard engine.Image may contain: outdoor and nature

Long boats could be as long as 72 feet. They were not as romantic as the speedboats as they were mainly for family and official uses.

The Medical Department was famous for their very long boats which acted as mobile clinics in most cases. The officers practically lived in them. A long boat like theirs would have a boat man, a jaga ruan, a cook and an orderly.

While young ladies were dreaming of their handsome men coming to fetch them in their speedboats I was more serious about my future career. Would I be a nurse? Would I be a teacher?

My family then could not really afford to send me overseas to study economics or law  or accountancy.

So I gave nursing a try. When I was asked to temporarily help Miss Mona Pengelly as a translator of the Methodist Mobile Clinic along the Igan and the Rajang I was only too happy to go with her. The work was both adventurous and meaningful. She was a nurse with a lot of experience (she even treated a sick pig) and she delivered so many babies in the villages without many facilities. I translated for her when she met with Foochows and Ibans and I enjoyed all the long boat trips.

Life was not too risky on the river because the long boat was sturdy, we had a roof over us and the boat man was really trustworthy. We reached every destination in good faith.

One night we slept in a longhouse living room with a python curled above us on a beam. The Iban owner of the bilik said they would not chase the reptile away because it could be the reincarnation of an ancestor. I probably did not sleep a wink but towards morning I did fall asleep as I did not hear the cock crow.

December 27, 2018

Sibu Tales : Taiping Eggs

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Taiping eggs are festive eggs made by the Foochows since time immemorial.

Actually they are just hard boiled eggs which are deep fried. When they are put into a big bowl of  spring onion and chicken soup, the dish becomes taiping egg soup. However the most popular dish today is to make 10 taiping eggs and use them to surround a big platter of fried mee sua. This is the modern twist of our traditional Foochow Taiping Eggs.

This dish is available in Sitiawan, West Malaysia and in many Foochow operated eateries in Sarawak and Sabah.

Tai Ping comes from the Chinese term meaning peace and harmony on earth. No more war, no more chaos, no more quarrels.

I just wish for Malaysia that we will all eat Taiping Eggs and live in peace forever.

December 26, 2018

Badau - Pretty Border Crossing

Photo from Indonesia Travel.News.

Sarawakian Local Delights : Ikan Sultan



Ikan Sultan from the fresh water river or from the sea can be cooked in a bamboo stem as an alternative method, different from steaming, bbq or deep frying.  Most people who have had eaten bamboo cooked fish had found the white fleshed fish rather bony but they would find that the recipe gave them a different perception of fish eating. The fish having been cooked in a bamboo stem over a slow open fire, is not so oiler and the bones are easy to remove through careful picking, with the fingers or with chopsticks and fork.

The fish is usually cut in steaks and then halved to be marinated for half an hour with salt, lemon grass and daun bungkang. Then the fish is slowly stuffed into the bamboo stem together with the lemon grass, daun bungkang etc. The bamboo stem is then half filled with water. The open mouth of the bamboo stem is sealed with a ball of crumpled young tapioca leaves.

The bamboo stem must be turned once in a while to prevent burning. When the tapioca leaves are softened and cooked by the steam from the bamboo the fish is ready to be served. The fish will be aromatic and tasty. Enjoy!

(There is a special way of pouring out the fish from the bamboo. Hold the bamboo stem with the right hand, and slowly knock the hand with the left hand. The gentle pounding  of the right hand would cause the fish to slide out of the bamboo stem. Try it.)

December 25, 2018

Tea Oil and Egg

The Foochow of Minqing district of Fujian Province are famous for their 

Camellia sinensis is a species of evergreen shrub or small tree whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce tea. It is of the genus Camellia (Chinese茶花pinyinCháhuā, literally: "tea flower") of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. Common names include "tea plant", "tea shrub", and "tea tree" (not to be confused with Melaleuca alternifolia, the source of tea tree oil, or Leptospermum scoparium, the New Zealand Tea Tree).
Camellia sinensis var. sinensis and Camellia sinensis var. assamica, are two major varieties grown today.[2] White teayellow teagreen teaoolongdark tea (which includes pu-erh tea) and black tea are all harvested from one or the other, but are processed differently to attain varying levels of oxidationKukicha (twig tea) is also harvested from Camellia sinensis, but uses twigs and stems rather than leaves.The seeds of Camellia sinensis and Camellia oleifera can be pressed to yield tea oil, a sweetish seasoning and cooking oil that should not be confused with tea tree oil, an essential oil that is used for medical and cosmetic purposes, and originates from the leaves of a different plant.

Usually tea oil is home pressed and it is usually only sold to family friends or given to relatives as gifts.

It is used as a home remedy for ear aches, flu, muscle aches (massage oil) etc.Image may contain: people sitting, people eating and food

A wonderful dish using this tea oil is to steam a freshly laid egg in a few tablespoons of tea oil and this is a health food for the Mingqing people.

December 24, 2018

Miri : A Nyonya Mosaic Serving Tray



Travelling with friends often has a lot of rewards besides sharing laughter and good food.

While looking at things to buy and especially things for the home, we came across this beautiful serving tray with a Nyonya Mosaic. What a pretty thing. What a pretty concept.

I wonder who designed it.

It would definitely be good to have one at home. But after giving some thoughts to what I already have, why would I even need one more serving tray?

December 23, 2018

Sarawakian Local Delights : Lemang


Christmas Nostalgia



Each Christmas I would remember how my former maid and cleaning lady saved our Christmas once in the early 2000's when we first moved to Miri. Our faithful baby sitter had gone away to get married and we had to make do with an Iban lady who converted to Islam. She worked for us three mornings a week to do just the cleaning and laundry. She was with us for three years until she got a permanent job with a statutory body.

rich and fragrant lemang cut into lovely slices.

The first Christmas she was with us, she cleaned the house as usual and left to tend to her stall in the kampong with her son. She told us that she had to make more cakes for her customers.  In fact she took off after 2 hours of work and we did not mind.

We were busy trying to put together a Christmas event at home and we seemed to have endless problems at hand. With school going to open in a few days' time, as a mother I had not gotten everything done since I was teaching the holiday courses at the college. Fees had to be paid, kids had to have new shoes,and even bags had to be bought. Even though I had a car, I felt that I only had 2 hands and two legs. Like the characters of The Chrysalids I was wishing I had two more hands and two more legs.

 My head was spinning already by Christmas eve.

It was a good thing we only had two invited guests for our dinner. The menu was set as we had mee hoon to take the place of rice. Then suddenly two of the family members  and the two visitors looked at the turkey, mashed potatoes and salad and expressed their desire for rice to go with the curried chicken. How was I going to prepare rice in an instant? Another visitor suddenly arrived after we said our grace thanking God for His provisions. My family was always prepared for unexpected guests.

As we took our first bite of the turkey, and dug into our mashed potatoes, we were thinking it would be nice to have some lemang or ketupat. But any way one my daughters was happy that it was quite a good western dinner.

All of a sudden, there was a knock at the door, so  I thought that it would be another unexpected guest. And there standing in front of us was our loyal maid with a plastic bag in her hand. She had walked all the way from her kampong just to bring us the lemang she made (she and her children made lemang for special occasions like Raya or Gawai for sale). She had just closed her stall and thought of us. And we never expected a gift from her because she was such a busy person.

God had blessed us in a special way. The lemang was more than enough for all of us. In fact, we had enough for the next day. May God bless Minah and her family always.


Chang Ta Kang : The Newspaper Business Bombed


A street scene outside the General Post Office in Kuching, circa 1940. (Courtesy of Ramond Allas)
Kuching Street 1941 (Ramond Allas) from
Glimpses of Sarawak (The Final Exodus by JB Archer)
What happened in 1941, 23 December in Kuching? 
My father related the pain he suffered when the Japanese arrived in Kuching during one of our evening meals. As the sun rays slanted through the wooden shutters, interpersed by the jumping shadows of the rubber tree leaves, he would slowly tell us stories at our Brooke Drive house in Sibu. It was his way of teaching us moral values and to remember important things in life. Evening meals were the quality time he spent with us, after he had come home from work , after a round or two of mahjong at the Sibu Recreation Club.
We would be so eager to listen to his stories, or his history.
"The air was thick with blackclouds, but the blackclouds were actually Japanese air planes. The people of Kuching were still unaware that in the next three years life would be hard for every one. One of the bombs was dropped right in front of my Sarawak Times office but luckily no one was killed. My business was literally bombed. And your grandfather immediately sent word that I must leave every thing and come home to Sibu, which I did. What could I do any way? If I had stayed on, with my kind of background, the Japanese would definitely execute me straightaway."

And he continued to tell us : "What can Magali soldiers do?"

He was referring to the Punjab Regiment in Kuching. The whites had all left and there was no more government of the day." My father's understanding of government, governance, the governing and the governed was more advance than most people's. He had lived in Beijing for so many years before returning with a degree in Economics and Journalism from the Yenching university. Most of his professors and lecturers were Americans (including Bliss Wiant, the music professor).
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Image result for Punjab Regiment in Kuching
The Japanese air force had already bombed Singakawang airfield to deter any Dutch attack. They drove off a lone Dutch submarine and then entered the mouth fo the Santubong River on 23rd December.
The 2nd Battalion of the 15th Punjab Regiment which was stationed in Kuching, was the sole Allied Infantry unit in Borneo. Although they resisted the Japanese attack on the airfield, they were soon outnumbered and retreated by the Santubong River.

ON 25th December, Japanese troops captured Kuching airfield, and the Punjab Regiment retreated through the jungle to the Singkawang area. Other British and Dutch troops retreated towards the Dutch airfield at Kotawaringin.
Most Foochow businessmen and their families quickly boarded whatever boats they could find and returned to Sibu to their family homes.

 (There were also tales of Ibans who were working in Kuching which related how they escaped from Kuching, and walked all their way back to Betong, Simanggang and Saratok. )

December 21, 2018

Miri : Sweet Mangoes

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We moved into this house in 1989 and were blessed by the former owner. He left us this Mango Tree and one Durian Tree in what was the original backyard. After a few years living in the house, the owner of the land in front of our house decided to close the access road to the left side of our house. So to avoid any controversy, we decided to buy a triangular piece of land costing about 7,000 ringgit from the land owner on the right. That piece of land was like the triangle piece of the Baju Kurong.

With the purchase of the land, our property became more rectangular and we constructed the access road, joining the access road of the next property. Since then we had peace ourselves. The land owner in front of our house sold his property to another owner several years later and we never heard about him any more. He had two young boys who should be in their 30's.

Our property yields fresh coconut fruits from time to time, and once in a while friends even come to fish in the creek behind our house.

The soil of our property is a bit salty so we have never been able to grow papayas for example. Now we are trying our best to grow bananas, longans, sour sop...and other mangoes. But our friends like the monkeys and squirrels have their pick of our fruits. Well, sharing is charing.

This is the last photo of our faithful mango tree which gave blessings to hundreds of friends and relatives, which finally died a few years ago.

We trimmed it a few times when thunderstorm broke its branches and yet it still continued to give us fruits. We were grateful that the fruits were never wormy. Friends came from far and near asking for fruits and indeed, truth be told, I never sold a single fruit one of its fruit.

It finally refused to bear fruit for three years in a row and all the branches rotted until its very base. finally with just one limb left, we had to kill off the base by setting it on fire, giving it some kind of cremation. May it go to Mango Heaven and be with other Mango Angels.

It was good to be a giver of fruits to friends and relatives.





December 20, 2018

Sarawakian Local Delights : Patin Fish Soup

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The wild patin is a valued fish for many of the riverine people in Sarawak. However due to some taboos and personal choice, the fish is not eaten by many Melanaus and Malays.

It is a fleshy fish and often people liken it to the tropical version of salmon, although its meat when cooked is white, and when in the raw it is red. The patin is usually cut into steaks and cooked in different ways by the indigenous people. It can be cooked as a soup, thus becoming very nutritious for the elderly and the young. Its flesh can be flaked and added to porridge, together with wild mushrooms. Filleted, it is a good fish to be battered and deep fried. Fish fingers made from patin is very delicious and so are the fish cakes. Patin can also be deep fried, or cooked in different varieties of curries.

One of the most famous dishes in Malaysia is Patin cooked with fermented durians, which can appear even in banquets hosted by royalty.

In English it is called the silver catfish because is belly is silver. Fishermen usually sell patin which are still alive, in shallow water tanks. When they come belly up, they cannot be sold. However patin can live for a long time in shallow water and even in thick mud.

According to some chefs, the best patin in Sarawak are found in the sometimes salty and sometimes fresh waters of Sarikei and Bintangor. Sea Patin can fetch a very high price and is not often caught. It is very much better than river patin.

Patin can be farmed and in fact the business is catching up in the last decade.

December 19, 2018

Sibu Tales : Mee Hoon Soup with Battered Fish

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Fish like red snapper, grouper, threadfin cod, can be battered and deep fried, ready to be added to a very delicious soup, which may have mee hoon.

In SArawak, this special soup with deep fried battered fish is a good coffee shop item. In fact it may be only available in some specialty fish shops in some towns.

Sometimes the soup is made milky by the addition of evaporated milk.  A tablespoon or two of xiao xin wine added to the fish soup will take away any fishy smell and brings the dish is the next level.

In fact some writers even wrote that this recipe originated in Hong Kong. However it must have been the work of an innovative chef who had liked the special thick fish chowder of the coasts of England and North America.


December 18, 2018

Hua Hong Ice Factory : Diang mian ngu with Ah Moh Loi (River Snails)

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My friend Maria Tay sent me a photo showing me how she and her friends enjoyed collecting very organic river snails in her village in Limbang.


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The photo, reminds me of my aunts' stories of how they cooked dian mian ngu (dian bian hu) during the Japanese Occupation using soup made from ah moh loi. My aunt would blanch the snails and then carfully remove the flesh using a toothpick. Then the blanched snail flesh would be fried with garlic and onions to make a soup base. wood ears, greens, bean sprouts would be added to the soup. the soup would remain in the kuali and the rice batter would be cooked on the side of the kuali. Once dried, the rice cake (diang mian ngu) would be scraped by a ladle into the boiling soup.
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Chopped spring onions would be added to the bowls of diang mian ngu before it was served . dinner could be as simple as this .

The rice batter would be prepared using the stone grinder great grandfather bought in Singapore.

I have never had diang miang ngu made with ah moh loi soup. Must try.

December 17, 2018

Sarawakian Local Delights : Deep Fried Fish



Deep fried river fish is a common dish in many longhouses in the evening. A farmer on his way home from the rice fields, may easily net a small pail of river fish.

One of the easier ways of cooking fish is deep frying them.

The salty fish, sometimes with scales still on, when deep fried, is very crunchy and tasty. Often they may form the only protein for the family for a few days.

The family dinner may include a sambal and a salad of cucumber.

The fried fish can be heated up in the kuali or placed on top of a smouldering wood fire the next day in the farm. And that will be a good lunch for the family.

December 16, 2018

Sibu Tales : Braised Duck


One of the best meats the Foochows enjoy is duck. Our dialectic group has been rearing lots of ducks in Minqing, Fujian and Sibu, Sarawak. We rear mainly three kinds of ducks, the yellow beak white feathered pekin duck, the red faced Muscovy and the half breed called water duck or vegetable duck. The last type quacks a great deal and the female is good for medicinal value.

For the table, the best is the Muscovy ones as they have good meat and therefore there is more for every one especially during the festive seasons.


Pak Lo Duck Recipe (also known a Lu Ark in Foochow)
1 tablespoon five-star spice mixed with 2 teaspoons salt
1 whole duck (2.5kg)
25g galangal, finely sliced
1 whole head garlic, cloves peeled and finely sliced
1 tablespoon soya bean oil
6 tablespoons sugar
1 small cup soy sauce
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
100g rock sugar
1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced
Dipping Sauce
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 long red chillies
salt to taste
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar or juice of 3 lemons


This is the traditional Teochew (southern Chinese) way of preparing duck is popular for big occasions. The use of galangal and five-star spice together with the use of sugar counters the gamy taste of the duck meat. However the Foochow way of preparing this recipe is more basic. Just soy sauce and a few other ingredients.
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Method
Pak Lo Duck
Rub the five-spice and salt all over the duck. Fry the galangal and garlic in the oil in a wok until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
Photo of a soy sauce duck from Sg. Tenggang, Kuching Sri Aman Road.
Add the 6 tablespoons sugar to the wok and stir until melted. Add the soy sauce, then the duck and turn to coat with mixture. Add 1 small cup water, reduce heat then baste the duck.

Add another big cup of water. Return the galangal and garlic to the wok. Bring to the boil, cover and reduce the heat then simmer for 30 minutes, turning the duck regularly. Add extra water if necessary. Use a fork to check the meat is cooked through and tender.

Add the eggs in the last 10 minutes of cooking. Dissolve the rock sugar in 250ml water and spoon over the duck. Remove the duck to rest for around 10 minutes, reserving the gravy.

Carve the duck and arrange on a platter. Pour the gravy over the meat and arrange the cucumber and halved boiled eggs alongside. Serve with steamed rice and a bowl of dipping sauce for the meat and especially the cucumber. Serves 8.

Dipping Sauce
Bring all the ingredients to the boil in a small saucepan then take off the heat.

Enjoy the duck.

This dish is available in most Chinese restaurants with pre-order and sometimes tourists can get a taste of it in eateries located in Sarawakian Coffee Shops.






















December 15, 2018

Sarawakian Local Delights : Rubber Seeds

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I have both sets of grandparents who owned rubber gardens and have cousins who tapped rubber. In fact my maternal grandmother and my third uncle managed a rubber smoke house after the Japanese war in Nang Chong village.

Thus in a way I am very familiar with the rubber industry. However I have never eaten rubber seeds until recently.

The rubber seeds are salted and boiled. In the photo, the seeds are soften and ready to be re-cooked. They can be stir fried with ikan bilis or even deep fried. Actually they taste rather like chestnuts if they are boiled in sugary and saltish water.

December 14, 2018

Sibu Tales : Prawns steamed in Egg Whites



One of the nicest ways of cooking river prawns is to half them and steam them in egg whites.

This dish is only available in restaurants in Sarawak. Not all chefs can do this dish well as they have to balance the egg white, the right amount of xiao xin wine (or even brandy), ginger oil well. The steaming and the timing must be perfect. And naturally the fire has to be strong one. This is one dish that requires a good fire.

Big river prawns now fetch a good price especially those which are freshly caught. Some restaurants have their own tanks to rear the river prawns for a few days. Three big prawns can easily set a customer back for RM100.00

December 13, 2018

Book Launching in Miri




Nov 2018
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One of Heidi Munan's books.
Resort City of Miri saw well-known Sarawak writer Heidi Munan meeting fans and enjoying two days of book signing at Belle’s Bookstore, Pelita Centre.
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Many parents and well-wishers came for the two-day event, organised by the manager of the bookstore, Sophia Soo, and enjoyed a 20 per cent discount on salesImage result for Heidi Munan Sundaypost.
Heidi Munan started gathering a good readership from her early book titled ‘Cultures of the World — Malaysia’ which went on to become one of the most widely read books not only by young people in Malaysia but also those who want to know more about the country.

Soh Mien on First Day of Lunar New Year

 Today 10.2.2024 is the first day of the New Lunar Year of the Dragon. Yes I have cooked the chicken and made the soh mien. Happy New Year!!...